Tumbling machine



April 16, 1940.

c. A, OLD 'rumsuudmcnmz Filed May 2, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENT 1e WM QIWVU&@TTO8NE April 16, 1940. c. A. OLD

TUMBLING MACHINE Filed Kay 2, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v Mb Rmv Patented Apr. 16, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TUMBLING MACHINE Charles A. 01a, Oakland, Calif. Application May 2, 1938, Serial No. 205,590

'1 Claims. (01. 51-163) s This invention relates to mechanisms for imposing forces on an assembled group of objects so as to create therein a state of turbulence.

It is an object of the invention to provide a tumbling machine particularly adapted to be inserted in, and form a permanent part of, a conveyor system transporting objects to be tumbled from a machine which performs one operation thereon to another machine which performs an additional operation thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in conjunction with a belt conveyor, a tumbling machine which is constructed in the nature of the conveyor and into and from which objects passing along the conveyor may readily flow and be discharged without the need of manual assistance.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described which will go vigorously tumble, without being bodily rotatable,

a quantity of objects contained therein.

Still another object of the invention is to provide novel means for discharging objects from the machine while the latter is in operation.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, together with the foregoing, will be specifically set forth in the detailed description of the invention hereunto annexed. It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific form thereof herein shown and described as various other embodiments thereof may be employed within the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of mechanism. incorporating the improved tumbling machine of my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional'view of the structure shown in Figure The plane in which the view is taken is indicated by the line 2-4 of the latter figure.

Figure 3 is a fragmental vertical sectional view of a portion of the tumbling machine. The plane in which the view is taken is indicated by theline 45 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmental top plan view of a portion of the belt and its attached drive chain.

Tumbling machines may be used .to operate upon a wide variety of objects requiring tumbling 50 whether it be to fragment the articles, to abrade them, or to remove undesirable coatings of matter thereon. While cognizant of the numerous uses to which the machine may be put, I have prior to ironing of the latter. 'In the usual commercial laundry process,'the fabric pieces after being Washed are placed in centrifugal driers which forcibly drive a greater part of the contained moisture therefrom. When the pieces 5" emerge from the driers, they are crumpled and bunched together and if allowed to remain in this condition for but a short time will be found to contain, upon being shakenv out, numerous sharply defined creases some'of which are so pro- 1'0 nounced that sometimes several passes of the piece through the pressing machine is required before traces of the creases are erased. In most laundries it is the practice for'the pressing machine operators to shake out each piece with the 15 familiar whip-snapping mfotionbefore feeding it into the pressing machine. Besides consuming considerable time, being injurious to the fabric, and greatly reducing the work capacity of, and quickly tiring, the operator, this procedure does 20 not insure that the more severely creased portions of the pieces will be ironed out smooth thereby necessitating passage of the pieces once or more additional times through the ironer or treating them in other manners to obliterate the creases. 2 Some laundries subject the crumpled pieces, after they emerge from the driers, to a tumbling operation inside of rotating cylindrical drums. These devices, since they subject the pieces .to'the same centrifugal forces to which they were subjected in the centrifugal driers, do not quickly remove the creases and in most instances add to the creases already in the fabric. I have found that by providing a tumbling machine having a peculiarly shaped tumbling chamber, wherein the pieces are subjected to a purely rolling motion without the imposition thereon of centrifugal forces of any kind, the pieces will be smoothed out more completely and in a shorter space of time than heretofore.

Describing the invention in detail, a base plate 6 is provided from the opposite longitudinal edges of which rise vertically disposed frames 1 and 8. To the inner surface of each frame is secured,

by screws 9, a vertically extending side plate ll.

the frames I and 8, is a motor 2| secured to the shaft 22 of which is a small grooved pulley 23 and connecting the pulleys 23 and Hi, to be driven together upon rotation of the motor shaft, is a belt 24. The roller I3 is fixed to a shaft 26 whose opposite ends are journaled in suitable axially alined bearings provided in the frames I and 8. The roller I4 is an idler, being mounted for rotation on a shaft 2! whose opposite ends pass through, and are journaled in bearings 23 provided in the opposed frames. To one end of the shaft 21 is attached, by a pin 29, a lever 3| which rises upwardly to terminate in a hub 32. A bellcrank, having a lever portion 33 similar to the lever 3|, is attached to the opposite end of the shaft 2! by a pin 34 and rises therefrom to terminate in a hub 36. Anadditional integral lever 3! is connected to the lever 33 and extends downwardly and outwardly from the shaft 21. A shaft 38, to which the roller I5 is fixed for rotation, passes outwardly through arcuate slots 39 provided in the opposed side plates H and has its opposite ends'journaled in the hubs 31?. and 36 of the respective levers 3| and 33.

Journal ed on the frames, in spaced relation to the rotational axes of each of the rollers i2 and M, are sprockets ii and 42 and below the above mentioned rollers are provided spaced pairs of similar sprockets 43 and 44. A typical mounting for the sprockets is shown in Figure 3, each being journaled on a headed stub shaft 56 whose shank 41 passes through an apertured boss 68 provided in the frames I and 8, the end of the shank being threaded to receive a nut 49 which secures the shank in the boss. Trained around each of the rollers and sprockets just described is a pair of parallel chains 5| each having their opposite ends connected together to form endless loops. As is most clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4, alternate rivets 52 of each chain are provided with recessed heads 53. An endless belt 54, of heavy canvas or other such flexible material, is provided forming an endless loop equal in length to the length of the pitch line of the chains, and secured to this belt, in spaced relation equal, preferably, to the distance between every second link of the chains, are pairs of preferably semi-circular battens 56 connected together and to the belt by suitable screws 5?. The opposite ends of each pair of these battens repose in the cylindrical recesses in the rivet heads 53 so that the belt, along its entire length, is attached to the opposed chains 5|. The positions of the several rollers and sprockets is such that the doubled belt loop assumes a shape substantially hexagonal in cross section which provides, in conjunction with the spaced side plates an enclosed tumbling charm her open at its top and Whose medial major axis lies angularly disposed with respect to the horizontal. In order to cover the sprockets and chains lying within and adjacent the bottom of the chamber, portions 58 of each side plate I i, as is shown in Figure 3, are bent to overlie the sprockets and terminate at their lower edges closely adjacent to the chains. These shields prevent objects which may be placed in the chamber from becoming caught between the teeth of the sprockets where the latter are intermeshed with the chains. It will be seen that when the motor 2| is running, the chains 5| and the belt 54 will be caused to move, due to the frictional engagement of the roller l2 with the chains, thereby creating turbulence among objects of a group of the latter which may be contained in the tumbling chamber.

' direction of the arrow 64.

Means are provided for delivering objects to be treated to the tumbling chamber and for conveying the objects, after treatment thereof, from the chamber. Journaled in opposed bearings 59, provided adjacent the top of each frame l and 8, is a shaft 65 fixed to which is a pulley 62 over which is trained a conveyor belt 63 along which objects, for example, pieces of fabric from the centrifugal driers of a laundry, may pass in the It will be seen, in Figure 1, that the discharge end of the conveyor 3-3 overlies a substantially horizontal portion of the belt E i at the uppermost portion of the belt loop so that when the belt is moving in the direction of the arrow 68, objects dropping off the end of the conveyor will be carried by the belt into the tumbling chamber. To guard against the possibility of pieces discharged from the conveyor 83 being thrown across the chamber opening and over the top of the roller |5, a baiiie plate 6?, attached at its opposite ends by screws 68 to the side plates closes the open space between the surface of the belt 5 where it passes over the roller 5, and the upper edge of each side plate so that the objects will strike against the plate and be deflected downwardly into the tumbling chamber.

Pivotally mounted, by pins 69 journaled in brackets -I| secured to the base plate 6, is a cylinder I2 in which a piston I3 connected to one end of a piston rod 14, is adapted to reciprocate. The extreme outer end of the rod M is connected by a clevis l3 and pivot pin TI to the distal end of the lever 37 of the bell-crank fixed to the. shaft 21. Conduits I8 communicate with the respective ends of the cylinder and are adapted, through suitable valving means well known in the art, to alternately supply fluid under pressure to one end of the cylinder while exhausting the other end thereof so as to cause reciprocation of the piston I3 therein. When the piston is moved, so as to withdraw the rod I4 into the cylinder, movement of the lever 31, which follows the rod, will cause rotation of the shaft 21 thereby swinging both levers 3| and 33 downwardly from their normally vertical positions which will cause the roller l5 and the portion of the belt loop trained thereover to move downwardly into the position shown by the dotted lines I9. This will cause the belt along one entire side of the tumbling chamber to assume a substantially horizontal position so that the contents'of the chamber will be easily carried along the afore-mentioned portions of the belt and be discharged therefrom where the belt passes over the roller I5. In order to receive the objects being discharged from the chamber, a conveyor belt 8!, moving in the direction of the arrow 82 and trained over a pulley 83 fixed to a shaft M which is journaled in opposed bearings 86 carried by the frames 5 and 8, is positioned below the overhanging belt 34 when the roller I5 is in its lowermost position as indicated by the dotted lines I9. .In order to prevent objects being carried into the tumbling chamber by the conveyor belt 53 and being carried therefrom by the conveyor belt 8| from falling from the belts, the sides of the respective belts are paralleled by fences 87 and 38 whose ends are attached to the vertical edges of the side plates H in any desired manner. -The opposite side plates II at the sides of the discharge conveyor 8| are held together by a suitable bracing bar 89 so as to prevent spreading thereof.

In operating the mechanism, the conveyor belt the ironers.

63 is preferably adapted to be started and stopped at will so that measured quantities of objects, which may be pieces of fabric coming from the driers of a laundry, will be discharged into the tumbling chamber. Unlike the conveyor belt 63, the belts 54 and BI may be runcontinuously. It is however desirable that the motor 2| be of the variable speed type and be also reversible since different batches of fabrics due to possession of various degrees of moisture may take a longer or shorter time to treat than others and the ability to speed up the motor enables the operator to maintain maximum output of the machine. The reversible feature is desirable in treating particularly obstinate pieces which are severely creased or crumpled, it having been found that tumbling these pieces alternately in reverse directions quickly obliterates or reduces the creases to a point wherein they may be easily obliterated by The peculiar shape of the tumbling chamber renders the machine capable of producing, more expeditiously, a higher quality of work than is obtainable in similar machines equipped with cylindrical tumbling drums. When a group of fabric pieces is placed in the tumbling chamber, and the belt 54 is rapidly driven by the motor 2 l the group will be quickly stirred into a state of turbulence and, due to the individual pieces passing to successive of the various acutely angularly directed portions of the belt within the chamber, the pieces will be rapidly flexed. This, together with the rubbing action which is bound to occur by reason of the pieces slipping over the battens 56 backwardly relative to the forwardly moving belt, will cause even the most severe creases to be quickly smoothed out. In addition to these actions the bulk of the fabric mass, due to the hexagonal cross-sectional form of the chamber. will be rapidly compressed and expanded diametrically thereby assisting, on account of the increased and decreased pressures between the individual pieces, in the removal of the undesirable creases.

While I have elected to show, for purposes of example only, the pressure actuated cylinder 44 for operating the swingable side of the chamber to permit removal of the contents of the latter, it is to be understood that this movement may be accomplished in any desired known manner such as manually, gravitally or electrically, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

It is also possible, by the use of means well known in the art to synchronize the motor 2| and the chamber gate operating mechanism so that, after a predetermined period of operation of the motor, the gate will automatically open to discharge the contents of the tumbling chamber.

Having thus described my invention and its mode of operation, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A machine of the class described comprising a flexible web, means for supporting portions of said web to form thereof a depressed receptacle open at one side, means for moving said web relative to said supporting means, and means for moving a supporting means and the portion of the web supported thereby to increase the opening of said receptacle.

2. A machine of the class described comprising a plurality of spaced supports, a plurality of rollers disposed between and rotatably mounted on said supports, means for rotating one of said rollers, a pair of spaced chains tractionally engaging said rollers, a belt paralleling and secured to said chains, said chains and belt being depressed in portions thereof to provide, in conjunction with portions of said spaced supports, a concave receptacle and in other portions thereof being positioned in spaced relation overlying said depressed portions to form an opening for said receptacle, said other portions of the belt being spaced apart a distance materially less than the greatest parallel internal dimension of the receptacle, means for feeding objects into said receptacle through the opening thereof, and means for enlarging said opening to facilitatedischarge of said objects from said receptacle.

3. A machine of the class described comprising a plurality of spaced supports, a plurality of rollers disposed between and rotatably mounted on said supports, means for rotating one of said rollers, a pair of spaced chains tractionally engaging said rollers, a belt paralleling said chains, a plurality of battens secured to said belt and at opposite ends thereof to the respective chains, said chains and belt being depressed in portions thereof to provide, in conjunction with portions of said spaced supports, a concave receptacle andin other portions thereof being positioned in spaced relation overlying said depressed portions to form an opening for said receptacle, said other portions of the belt being spaced apart a distance materially less than the greatest parallel internal dimension of the receptacle, means for feeding objects into said receptacle through the opening thereof, and means for enlarging said opening to facilitate discharge of said objects from said receptacle.

4. A machine of the class described comprising a pair of spaced supports, side plates rising from said supports, a plurality of rollers disposed between and rotatably mounted on said supports, means for rotating one of said rollers, a plurality of sprockets rotatably mounted on said supports and arranged in spaced relation with respect to said rollers, endless chains trained over said rollers and sprockets, a belt paralleling said chains, spaced means connecting said belt and said chains, said rollers and sprockets being so arranged that said belt substantially encloses a space between said side plates to provide a receptacle having angularly disposed wall surfaces formed by said belt, and means for moving one of said rollers arcuately about the axis of another of said rollers, whereby two of said normally angularly related wall surfaces of the receptacle are disposed in substantial planar alinement.

5. A machine of the class described comprising a pair of spaced supports, side plates rising from said supports, a plurality of rollers disposed between and rotatably mounted on said supports, means for rotating one of said rollers, a plurality of sprockets rotatably mounted on said supports and arranged in spacedrelation with respect to said rollers, endless chains trained over said rollers and sprockets, a belt paralleling said chains, spaced means connecting said belt and said chains, said rollers and sprockets being so arranged that said belt substantially encloses a space between said side plates to provide a re- I roller are disposed in substantial planar alinement. 6. A machine of the class described comprising a pair of spaced supports, side plates rising from vsaid supports, a plurality of rollers disposed between and rotatably mounted on said supports, means for rotating one of said rollers, a plurality of sprockets rotatably mounted on said supports and arranged in spaced relation with respect to said rollers, endless chains trained over said rollers and sprockets, a belt paralleling said chains, spaced means connecting said belt and said chains, said rollers and sprockets being so arranged that said belt substantially encloses a space between said side plates to provide a receptacle having angularly disposed wall surfaces formed by said belt, a shaft passing through one of said rollers and on which said roller is journaled, levers attached to the respective ends of said shaft and extending toward and attached to a shaft journaling another of said rollers, and means for rotating the shaft of said first-mentioned roller to move said second-mentioned roller orbitally about the axis of said rotated shaft.

7. A machine of the class described comprising a pair of spaced supports, side plates rising from said supports, a plurality of rollers disposed between and rotatably mounted on said supports, means for rotating one of said rollers, a plurality of sprockets rotatably mounted on said supports and arranged in spaced relation with respect to said rollers, endless chains trained over said rollers and sprockets, a belt paralleling said chains, spaced recessed elements carried by said chains, battens secured to said belt and having their opposite ends disposed in the recessed elements of said chains, said rollers and sprockets being so arranged that said belt substantially encloses a space between said side plates to provide a receptacle having angularly disposed wall surfaces formed by said belt, and means for moving one of said rollers arcuately about the axis of another of said rollers whereby two of said normally angularly related wall surfaces of the receptacle are disposed in substantial planar alinement.

CHARLES A. OLD. 

